The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-02-19

some of the items mentioned.
The Bank of France not only informs
its shareholders of the amount due to
its customers, but also of the total
amountoperated through their accounts.
There were 1892 current accounts open
at Paris and the branches, with sum
of E21, 724,00 standing to their credit
at the end of the year. Omitting the
balances due to the treasury, the fluc-
tuations of the total balance due on
these accounts are given as regards
their limits. On the 10th of April, 1855,
the maximum amount due by the bank
was 920G04, 600, and the minimum
amount on the 2Sth of February was
Ell, 800, 000-being difference of fS.-
$4,000. The total operations in the
year amounted to 9492, 1888, 092-being
less than the operations of 1884 by
ESQ, 65S, $50. The returns from the
clearinghouse in London have revealed
the same features. While the volume
of trade as whole has not diminished,
the money values have shown per-
ceptible decrease. These effects are due
to the fall in prices in France no less
than in England. We feel curious to
know whether the operations of the
Bank of England would excel those of
its sister bank. Out of the total opera
tons already gwen, 9226, 755, 52O are
accounted for by the operations con-
Quoted gratuitously for the public treas
ury.
The report congratulates the share
holders on the increase of the metallic
reserves in two years of G12, 900, 900, of
which the greater part was gold. This
is not to be wondered at, seeing that
silver has fallen in value so rapidly and
to so great an extent. When silver
was worth five shillings an ounce,
the holding of the Bank of France was
no anxiety; but now that silver has
fallen to three shillings and ninepence
an ounce, the amount of its metallic
reserve in silver is not worth so much
by about one-fourth as the sum stated.
Thus, out of fS9,552. 900 gold and silver
held by the bank, little less than half
(f43, 344 ,000O was in silver. Deducting
one-fourth, the value of the silver may
be put at about 933,000,000.
There is nothing more curious in the
whole statement than the particulars of
the commercial bills and paper" dis
counted. The amount reached f37O,-
004, S6S-made up by 1850, 1889 bills;
making an average of 1872 for the bills,
with an average of nearly 80 days to
run. The large number of 103, 664 bills,
for E3, 588, 92A, were refused discount
a large portion on account of Irregular
tiles of form, and the remainder for
want of confidence. In Paris, alone,
5,017, 904 bills, amounting to G15S,S 32,-
1872, were admitted to discount; Of these,
IA, 106 bills were of the amount of IS.
4d. and below; 656, $50 were from 9s
I'd. to e.; 919,753 were from e., 0s.
10d to "a; and 3, 427, 065 were above "a.
These figures are an indication of the
trade habits of our neighbors, and show
the services rendered to the retail trade
by the chief bank. An idea of the inn
mense quantity of work connected with
these small bills, payable chiefly at the
residences of the drawees, can be gath
cred from paragraph in the statement
giving an account of the days work on
the 3lst of October, the heaviest for the
year. 1t included the manipulation of
1919, 272 bills, representing the sum of
"a, $50, 769-to receive which, applica-
ton had to be made at So, 707 dwellings,.
The expense of large statfof collecting
clerks and others to perform these
duties adds very large proportionate
cost to these documents in addition to
the discount
The bank makes advances on public
securities, railway securities, and other
securities. The maximum amount at
Paris was on the 18th of January,
and reached G6,50S, 000-the minimum
on the 10Th of March. reaching G5,348,-
coo. At the branches the maximum oc-
CURED on the 18th of July, and was
G6, 1872, 900. The minimum was very
nearly concident with the minimum at
Paris, occurring on the 9th of March,
and amounting to 95,596, 900. The total
operations in advances amounted to
G25. .804.
The note circulation is gwen in any
plified detail, the statement showing the
number of notes in circulation with their
denomination, the numbers issued, can
celled, destroyed, and withdrawn during
the year. On the 2Sth of january, 1886,
there were is. $50, 800 notes, amounting
to Gig, $50, 539, in the hands of the
public. There are no notes issued higher
than five thousand francs (E200) each,
and there were only five of these in cir
culation. The note most in use was
that of ono hundred francs (ED, of
which there were 12,810675; and the
one least in use is of the denomination
of two hundred francs (f8). There
were only 1924 notes of two hundred
francs (ES) each; 1912 notes of which
the form was out of date; and 164,026
notes for five francs (4s.) each in cir
culation. During the year there were
$3.50, 900 notes issued, representing an